People become vegan for all sorts of reasons, the main three being: for the animals (me); for the environment, and for personal health. This last one is often mocked by the omnis as they see vegetarians, never mind vegans, as being weak and ill. For some reason if a vegan falls ill it’s because of their diet. However if someone who eats seventeen bacon butties a week has a heart condition – that’s genetic.

This book studies the science of nutrition and how it relates to health. It’s not a strictly vegan book in that it does document some experiments that were carried out on mice, but it certainly advocates a plant-based diet. Now, as we know, veganism is about much more than diet. It’s a way of living that seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, animal products and animal exploitation from our lives. It’s not flippant to say though that diet is central to this lifestyle. And while you can rightly argue that a vegan diet based on whole foods is the healthiest one out there, it can be an uphill battle as mainstream media, the government and the food industry all seem to be doing their best to convince us otherwise.

Vegetables are incredibly healthy

The China Study is not only the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted (as it says on the cover) but it’s also a look at why the information that’s been discovered isn’t more widely known. The author, T. Colin Campbell, was brought up on a dairy farm and grew up to be one of the most respected medical professionals in the world. I find this important, because all too often we are told by farmers that we simply ‘don’t understand’ farming and are their enemies. And yet here is a farm boy who ate meat, milk and eggs and when he learned of how damaging they can be, changed his diet.

The research that has gone into this book and T. Colin Campbell’s career in general is incredibly extensive. When he found that some of the top killers in the western world (including diabetes, cancer and heart disease/stroke) could not only be prevented and treated but reversed by this diet, he was askance at how governments acted. Sitting on some of the top health panels in the country, he was agressively bullied and stopped from giving out the correct nutrition information. The power that agribusiness and the food industry have over the government is, quite frankly, frightening.

The healthiest diet is a vegan one

There are so many conflicting messages out there surrounding diet and health that it’s very easy to get confused. In The China Study we are given comprehensive information about the thousands of studies that show a whole foods, plant based diet is by far the best one for optimum health. The China Study itself tracked the diet and health of those living in rural China who consumed mainly vegetables and had very little in the way of meat and processed food. Even allowing for many other mitigating factors including racial difference, exercise levels and environment, they showed little to no signs of the diseases that kill most of us here in the west.

There’s lots of information in this book and it’s a bit of a tome, but I found it absorbing and endlessly interesting. If anyone asks you for scientific evidence that vegan is best, give them this! (A revised and expanded addition is now available.)

As I’ve said before, a carvery isn’t the obvious dining option for the vegan-about-town, however, it may surprise you to learn that there are more vegan options to choose from here than at many similar styled establishments. If you wander into a typical pub you’ll be lucky to get a baked potato and beans. More often than not, you’re simply offered chips (and who knows what fat they were deep fried in…) Cheerfully, Toby Carvery is a UK-wide chain who seem to have observed that meat-eating people have vegan mates who should be catered for.

Vegan veg with veggie gravy

And so it has come to pass that on their menu they have three main meals suitable for vegans. When you order them though, be sure and ask for a plate of veggies, as the ones in the main carvery area are cooked in butter. The roasties are fine though, as they’re cooked in vegetable oil.

Spiced Carrot & Chickpea Wellington

First we have the Spiced Carrot and Chickpea Wellington (they used to have a nut roast wellington, which I remember being nice.) I’ve not tried the new version, but it looks good and I’ve had favourable reports from companions. To be honest, I rarely turn down pastry.

Lentil Cottage Pie

Next there is the Lentil Cottage Pie, which is my favourite. The lentils are always big and tasty, never a mush, and the gravy and crunchy crustiness round the edge would have most meat-eaters sold I reckon.

Butternut Squash Crumble

Last but not least, there’s the Butternut Squash Crumble, which manages to taste both healthy and yummy at the same time, which, let’s face it, is rare. Most types of crumble are fine with me. I’m quite partial to the rhubarb variety, but that’s another story…

They even have vegan dessert!

Another thing that sets this place apart from most of its rivals is the fact they have a vegan dessert on the menu that isn’t fruit salad! Praise be! Not only is it not fruit salad, it’s chocolate! Chocolate and Cherry Torte to be exact. It’s moist enough not to need any of the dairy add-ons they have, so you can happily enjoy the torte naked. (No, not like that.)

Chocolate and Cherry Torte

So there you have it – a very vegan-friendly carvery. My local one now even has pictures of vegetables on the walls! So, even though you may be forced to walk past a counter full of heated up dead animal parts, it’s no worse than accidentally finding yourself in the meat section of the supermarket. Just walk on by. Nobody is forcing you to eat anything you don’t want to and you don’t have to wait long for vegan sustenance as the service tends to be fairly quick. All this plus a cheeky beer made for a very pleasant night out with friends.

This soup is healthy, tasty, comes together in a short space of time and fills you right up. As the nights grow darker and often colder too, one’s mind naturally turns to comforting, warming soup. To be honest with you though, I make this at any time of year ’cause it’s so easy and yummy.

Tesco miso paste

The miso paste I used for this was the stuff out of Tesco, but Sainsbury’s do a nice one and there are various brown rice misos you can get from health food shops. Whatever one you choose, the rule of thumb is generally one tablespoon of miso paste to 500ml liquid (in this case, vegetable stock). Have a play around with different ones and see which one you like best. Miso paste is generally with the Asian foods, or sometimes next to speciality ingredients in supermarkets.

Fancy barley miso from Clear Spring

You can also add any veg you like really – this is a really flexible recipe. Beansprouts would work well in place of noodles if that takes your fancy and really any green veg from cabbage to broccoli would be a winner here. Have fun!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons miso paste

1 red pepper, sliced thinly

1 onion, sliced into half moons (top and tail, cut onion down the centre, then slice up lengthways)

1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, chopped

Fresh ginger adds lots of great flavour

3 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 bunches of pak choi, roughly chopped

1 block of firm tofu

2 vegetable stock cubes (to make 1 litre of stock)

2 handfuls of mange tout

1 handful of kale

Blue Dragon soy sauce is clearly labelled

2 or 3 spring onions

A packet of flat rice noodles (2 servings)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Here’s how I do it:

Spoon your miso paste into a large pot (one that can take at least a litre and a half, to cater for all your lovely chunky ingredients).

Pepper, onion and paste

Add the pepper and onion, garlic and ginger and put on to heat at a low temperature. Mix it all around and pop in the chopped stalks of pak choi (we’ll add the leaves a bit later.)

Ginger and garlic add great flavour

Pop your stock cubes into a measuring jug, boil a litre of water in a kettle and pour over to dissolve your two stock cubes. If the mixture in the pot is sizzling, just add a splash of your liquid.

Mix everything up well

While boiling and dissolving is going on, drain your tofu and press most of the moisture out of it over a sink. Transfer it to a chopping board and cube it with a sharp knife.

Cubed tofu

This is easily done. Just turn it on its long edge and cut down the middle. Now, lay it flat and cut four times lengthways and three times across.

Add stock

Now it’s time to add the dissolved stock to the pot, along with the tofu. Add in the kale, mange tout, leftover pak choi leaves and spring onions at this point and give it all a good stir.

Add the other veg

Give it five to ten minutes to let the veg soften and the tofu to absorb the flavours.

Finally, add the noodles

Add in the flat rice noodles (breaking them apart as you do so with your hands) and the soy sauce. This is the time to stir again and then give it a taste. (If it’s too salty for you, add some agave nectar or maple syrup if you have some and that should mellow it down.)

Leave for a bit so the flavours can be absorbed

Although the soup is now ready to serve, sometimes the flavours really start to come through after you’ve left it for a while, so this is a good one to make in advance. Also, the liquid can soak into the tofu and veg over time, so you may need to add a bit more stock/water when you heat it up after leaving it for a bit.

Advertisment

Vegans.UK Cookies Policy

Our Website uses cookies to improve your experience. Please visit our About page for more information about cookies and how we use them. To continue using the website you give consent to use cookies as mentioned on About.